Tres Leche Mocha Cake with Dulce de Leche Glaze

Some cakes are meant for potlucks and occasions. They are too sinful to be enjoyed on a regular basis. Such cakes pleasure us despite being utterly calorie laden.

I have made tres leche cake earlier when I attended a potluck in the city and now after over 2 years I made it again for Ravaly’s birthday. All my friends couldn’t stop gushing about it and wanted me to teach them, till I told them that they are eating 2 cans of condensed milk. ;)

You can use any sponge cake for the base and follow the process for soaking and glazing and use any version of topping including whipped cream. The essence lies in soaking the cake in tres leches mixture which literally means 3 milks.

Preparation

In a large bowl, combine together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda. In a separate small bowl, mix curd or buttermilk, oil, vinegar, vanilla extract and apple sauce.

3.

Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients bowl until just mixed. I added another teaspoon of curd to adjust the consistency. Pour the batter into prepared pan. Bake for 50-55 minutes or till the tooth pick inserted near the centre comes out clean. Cool the cake completely in the pan.

4.

In a large bowl, whisk together the evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, heavy cream and rum. Add in coffee brew, cinnamon powder and vanilla beans. Allow them to steep in and absorb maximum flavours for at least 1 hour. Tres Leche soaking liquid is prepared.

5.

Once the cake has cooled and run a sharp, thin-bladed knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the cake from the sides.

6.

Poke holes in the cake with a skewer or point of a small, sharp knife at ½ inch intervals. Slowly pour the soaking liquid over the cake. Let it sit for a few minutes to absorb. If it's slow to absorb, run a knife around the edges of the cake again and poke a few more holes.

7.

Place the cake in the refrigerator to chill for at least 8 hours or overnight. Spread dulce de leche over cake, sprinkle with chopped walnuts and chocolate chips. You can also pipe some pattern with melted chocolate. Place the cake back in the refrigerator for 2 hours or until ready to serve.